Access to justice: the path towards the typification of femicide in Ecuador

Abstract

The hereby research focuses on the challenges and complexities faced by women who are victims of gender-based violence when accessing the different administrative bodies of justice. In particular, this work aims to shed light on the methods used by the perpetrators of violence against women, due to the fact that knowing the prevalence of one type of weapon over another can contribute to the development of a demographic sample that allows establishing what age group, social or otherwise, is more vulnerable and what is the identified profile of the person who exercises violence. The methodology used by this research is both qualitative and quantitative, analyzing documents provided by the judiciary, as well as bibliographical references where similar cases are studied from the epistemology of feminism. At first the investigation started from the premise that those who are able to carry firearms could be more prone to commit violent acts against women. After a field analysis it was possible to verify that these acts are carried out, for the most part, by knives or by the method of asphyxia, which leads the investigative work towards the hypothesis that it is a broader population group, which is a greater risk for women. The causes and effects of this conclusion, as well as the legislation in force in the Ecuadorian State that protects victims of gender violence, will be analyzed throughout this project.